Oil leak from drain plug ....

Energy One

Ram-Z

Member
I've got a 2008 Big Dog Pitbull, and engine oil appears to be leaking from the oil tank drain plug. I've tried using Loctite High Temperature 592 Thread Sealant on the drain plug multiple times and it still leaks oil. :bang:

Has anyone else had this problem, if so, what did you do to stop the leak?

Has anyone tried using a different drain plug?
 

Thors

Active Member
If memory serves me correctly its not a crush type seal. Couple wraps of teflon tape on mine each time I put it back and I've never seen a drop. Did you try that?
 

chacha

Chaff Your EHC!!
Calendar Participant
Teflon tape made for gas and oil fittings (Yellow). I've never had a problem with the plug leaking.
 

05chop

Well-Known Member
do you know if the oil plug is boss oring or pipe thread.never use red lock tight on a drain plug
 

08mastiff

Active Member
Don't use the copper crush washer. Not made for that plus you really have to tighten down hard to crush it. You will end up stripping the oil pan threads. Use a rubber type washer or some silicone. No need to tighten hard since there is no pressure behind.
 

JeffM

Active Member
I'm the sam as tom on my 08.
However in the past i have used a plumbers yellow jointing paste, it is impervious to everything, only need a drop.
I am in heavy industry and i can say that the Locktite pipe sealing products do not work when things go for hot to cold to hot and so on.
 

Brew

Troop Supporter
The hard tails have the pipe thread type plugs. They're different from the soft-tails with the o-rings. I use the yellow teflon tape also...:D
 

Ram-Z

Member
Wow .... Thank you to everyone for your input! You guys are awesome! :2thumbs:

My drain plug appears to be the pipe thread plug. There is no O-ring and no bolt head. (I've tried to attach a sample picture of what my drain plug looks like.)

After reading the replies .... it sounds like I will try the yellow teflon tape, and if that doesn't work, then I'll try the plumbers yellow jointing paste. :D
 

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05chop

Well-Known Member
might want to recheck with air and mirrior(clean area up)to make sure it was the plug leaking.
 

bruce

Active Member
mine has o-ring and has never leaked, I would take your drain plug and see if you can find same threads but with a head so you could use a o-ring or washer.
 

Ram-Z

Member
Update on the leak .....

I have an update on the leak. After doing some further investigating ... I started the bike and let it heat up, but It didn't appear to drip. So I took the bike out and road it for 15 minutes and then parked it in the garage. It now looks like the leak is dripping down the side of my oil tank. If I was able to look straight up from where the drips are coming from, I think it would be in the area of the backside of the primary case. (like maybe in the area of the #31 O-ring in the attached diagram) :down:

I don't have enough knowledge to know where else .... or what else could be leaking up there. So I'm guessing I need to buy some gaskets and O-rings.
 

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05chop

Well-Known Member
Primary vent start in this area now you need to find if oil leak is engine oil primary or trans oil.Running down the road i would look at the vent.Airgun will blow off excess oil start high as oil runs down hill
 

05chop

Well-Known Member
Find where oil leal is coming from first before you go looking for parts.Just keep looking you will find the leak doesnt sound like a high pressure leak or it would be spraying out.
 

Ram-Z

Member
Primary vent start in this area now you need to find if oil leak is engine oil primary or trans oil.Running down the road i would look at the vent.Airgun will blow off excess oil start high as oil runs down hill
Thank you! You seem to have a lot of knowledge. And I greatly appreciate your help, but now I'm kind of getting lost. I'm not sure what you mean by "airgun will blow off excess oil" :confused:

I'm somewhat mechanically inclined, but I've never had this bike apart before. I think I found the primary vent, but it doesn't appear to have any fresh wet looking oil residue around it, or in the area below it. I've tried to use my camera phone to take lots of pictures, but nothing appears to be pointing my limited knowledge of the bike to where the leak is coming from.

P.S. - I used to think I kept my bike really clean and polished until I started to look underneath the bike. Now I'm embarrass that my bike is this dirty in places you don't normally see. :eek:
 

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